While notation software is only getting better and more convenient than ever, it could never spell the end of pen and paper. Scoring music by hand will always have its benefits, so hand-written sheet music will never go away.
Manuscript Paper: Blank Sheet Music
Here, you'll find pads and books filled with blank pages of sheet music, all pre-printed with staves. The beauty of physical manuscript paper is that, unlike notation software, you don't have to switch it on, you don't have to load it up and, as long as you have a pen handy, it always works. And it works anywhere, whether you're lounging in the living room or perched on the side of a mountain. Blank manuscript is used daily: by teachers quickly scrawling notation for a student; by composers, songwriters, and arrangers who simply prefer the method, since you're likely to think five times harder about what you're noting down when you're applying indelible ink to a page (it's much easier to make corrections in notation software). Notating by hand is a more focussed way of working, and can aid a deeper understanding and connection to the work. If you also need a music rest, music stand, or other bits and pieces like music books, have a look through our range of Sheet Music Accessories.
Manuscript Paper: Will Every Instrument Fit on the Page?
If you're writing a harp or piano part, then things are simple: you only need two staves, so they'll always fit on the page. When it comes to monophonic instruments like vocals, a flute, trumpet, and so on, things are even simpler because they'll only take up one stave. But if you're writing pieces for larger ensembles, like a symphony orchestra, then you might feel like the ten or twelve staves printed on the average page will never be enough. The solution is to notate efficiently by reducing your score. So, for example, you could notate the part of two trombones on a single stave with a line up and a line down. However, you'd still need more than twelve staves to write for a full-sized orchestra. Reduced notation means that multiple, different instruments are notated on one stave. If the parts of the clarinets and oboes are pretty close together, then they can easily sit on the same stave. Maybe all of your trombones and tubas can go on one stave. Plenty of instruments can be combined onto one stave to condense the notation. Of course, this could never be your final score - it'll need splitting up and working out in the studio. But if you're deep in the flow of writing and need to jot down ideas quickly, then using reduced notation can be a big help. In the early days of film, radio, and TV score composition, reduced notation was the standard. The composer could work quickly before moving onto the next project, and the orchestras were used to having to split the parts as soon as the score was handed over. Even now, many soundtrack composers still prefer the reduced notation method, written out with good old pen and paper.
Why is the Number of Staves Limited?
The answer is actually quite simple: if you insisted on putting every instrument on its own stave (even if you're putting two on the same stave, like the first and second trombone, for example) then the sheet of paper would need to be gigantic. Even if the page was A3-sized, it wouldn't be enough, and it wouldn't be practical either. If you want to write score in that way, then you'd be better off using notation software. Otherwise, reduced notation will do the job.
